Autism Healed! Jacob's Healing Testimony

Autism Healed! Jacob's Healing Testimony by Healing For Autism on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 10:53pm · Healing For Autism

There is healing for autism! Read the account of my son Jacob who was supernaturally healed of autism. We did not use any psychological, chemical, medical or dietary interventions to find healing for autism.

"You shall name him Jacob"

In 1991, the Spirit of God spoke to me and told me "You are going to have a son. Name him Jacob". Seven years later, in November of 1998, my son Jacob was born with Down's syndrome.

A Double Blessing

Before he was born, I did not know, medically speaking, that Jacob had special needs. I had declined the amniocentesis testing typical with high-risk pregnancies. But, I had heard a word in my spirit during pregnancy that if my child were to be born with special needs, it would be "alright...that our family would be a good place for a special child." I rebuked the unction as negative thinking at the time. When he was delivered, I was not expecting a special needs child, but was not too surprised that he had Down's syndrome. Only then did I realize the Holy Spirit had spoken to me a word of preparation. We were relieved to find Jacob was born without congenital heart issues or the underdeveloped bowel that sometimes accompany Down's syndrome. He was so adorable and petite, with such lovely features, I had trouble believing the diagnosis of "Trisomy 21" even after receiving a confirmation report from Mayo Clinic.

While I was pregnant, and soon after his birth, the Spirit of the Lord spoke through three different prophetic sources, including a messianic rabbi, that Jacob was going to be a "double blessing". One elderly and seasoned intercessor called me when Jacob was six weeks old. He told me, "The Lord is smiling on Jacob. He is going to bring a love into your family that couldn't be there without him." Another intercessor said, "Always remember Who's he is, and what a privilege it is to take care of him."

Afflicted with Autism

Jacob was a happy, outgoing toddler but became afflicted with autism by three years old following a routine immunization. Jacob was diagnosed as autistic at age 4 by a pediatric neurologist and school psychologist. A dual diagnosis of Down's and autism is rare: in the 1 percentile range.

By 2004, Jacob had suffered from autism and chronic bowel problems for three years. He had such painful abdominal cramps that he often missed school. Sometimes he would have to go on prescription cream to treat the raw and painful skin rash that resulted from his bowel trouble.

Jacob was more social than most autistic children, but he would often become fearful in group situations. In these settings, he would hide his face or squint his eyes shut. If he were very afraid, he would kick his legs and cry to leave. Other times he would drop to the ground in a tantrum. Although he bonded easily with adults, he was not able to form peer relationships with children his age. He would play beside them, but not with them. Even if a child liked Jacob, he could not recognize a special relationship in the making.

Jacob was terrified of unusual loud noises and would scream and cry if we attempted to ride through a car wash or attend a public picnic. The first time he had his hair cut in a public salon was the last time. Although I physically restrained him, he cried and thrashed so violently that the stylist nicked his ear. In kindness to her and her other clients, we left without finishing the hair cut. I then began to cut his hair at home, but he would writhe and cry through the whole ordeal.

Some of the most upsetting features of the autism was Jacob's non-compliance and chronic tantrums. He would become very upset if things he expected to happen would change in order or sequence. One of the worst incidents was a full body-drop tantrum in the grocery store because I wanted to shop with a hand basket instead of the usual shopping cart. Sometimes it would take 15 minutes to get from our front door to the car. If I took an unexpected turn on the way to school, he would kick in his car seat and cry in fear.

Jacob was required to wear a special safety harness on the school bus because of his autistic behavior. Jacob's non-compliance interfered with his ability to learn at school. He had great difficulty allowing others to show him things, like hand over hand activities. He would quickly protest, "No! All done!"

Another characteristic of the autism was his routine driven behavior. Just to get a yogurt out of the refrigerator required a several minute ritual. Jacob fixated on certain videos and toys and refused to play with any others selections. He showed no imaginative play skills. To transition from one activity to another would usually trigger a tantrum. In autistic terms this is called "insistence on sameness". Jacob had a ritual for getting up in the morning, for eating breakfast, for getting dressed, for playtime activities, for bath and bedtime. Every moment of his day, and mine, was driven by meaningless routine.

Jacob was extremely insistent on sameness in his food choices. If I switched the brand of yogurt, he would not eat it. He would slap his thigh in protest and say, "No, all done!" He also limited what foods he would eat. For two years, his primary diet consisted of bite-size tortilla chips, potato chips, and yogurt. Jacob would tantrum if I tried to serve him more than one kind of food at a time: he could not mix foods (like chips and salsa). He usually protested if I served a drink with the food. The school nurse helped me develop a special list of a few foods Jacob would eat at school. Because he would not eat anything else, he had a special standing lunch order for pizza everyday for an entire school year. He ate a severely limited diet of low fiber foods and suffered from loose stools. We tried soy milk, a potato based milk, and rice milk. Eventually, his pediatrician prescribed prescription milk, with vitamins and minerals, to help compensate for his poor diet. We found out by removing soy milk from his diet that it had contributed to loose stools and cramping.

A Search for Healing

Professionals had told me that autism is a lifelong disability: they don't know the cause and they don't know the cure. I spent countless hours online researching diets and behavioral interventions to alleviate Jacob's suffering. I completed surveys with, and ordered literature from, an autism research institute. I bought highly acclaimed books on the subject written by medical specialists. The more I studied the problem, the more overwhelmed I became at the monster tormenting my son. Our local physicians had no answers for treatment.

Because of his social strengths, Jacob enjoyed playing in the church nursery while I attended church or led worship. But he refused to enter the sanctuary with me for service. He was afraid. Once I tried to carry him in, but he grasped the entrance door with supernatural strength. He weighed about 35 pounds at the time, but I could not pry his little hands free from the door. It took 3 adults to forcefully pull him off the door. That Sunday, I asked our elders to pray for him for healing. The elders laid hands on him and prayed that he would be set free, healed, and restored in the Name of Jesus. At the time, I had hope, and some faith, that Jacob would be healed. The elders continued to pray for Jacob regularly in their prayer time. I thank the Lord for their faithful intercession. Other prayed, too, including pastors and friends. And then, we waited on the Lord.

The Breaker Anointing

Jacob's older sister Jessie attended the Healings, Miracles, Signs and Wonders conference at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in November 2004. At a healing service on Friday night, November 19, Evangelist Todd Bentley called out a word of knowledge for healing of Down's syndrome and autism. Jessie received a gift of faith and, with it, that word for her brother.

The week of the conference, Jacob had missed three days of school due to bowel disorder. He had been in pain and was irritable when he went to bed that night. At 11:50 p.m., Jessie called me from the service in Toronto, Canada via a cell phone. I could hear the sound of the saints in the service at TACF over the phone. I have never heard a sound like that. It was like the sound of many waters. It was a sound of celebration and victory. It sounded like a scene in heaven to me. I knew I was encountering a new spiritual realm. It made me want to live at a higher level of faith. I received an impartation of faith over the cell phone!

"Mom, Jacob is healed!" Jessie decreed. Then she asked me to lay hands on him. Jessie was weeping heavily under the anointing and was adamant that Jacob had been healed. She prayed for Jacob's healing as I laid hands on him in the US. Jacob was asleep during most of the prayer. At one point he sat up and began to cry.

TACF Pastor Steve Long also prayed over the phone with me for Jacob to receive his healing and fulfill his destiny in God's kingdom. He prayed Jacob would not only be healed, but that he would lay hands on the sick and they would recover. Three other TACF ministry school students also prayed over the phone for Jacob. Altogether, the prayer time lasted about 20 minutes. When the prayer was over, Jacob smiled and went back to sleep.

Jesus is the Healer

The Healing Began to Manifest

The morning after the prayer, Jacob woke up full of the joy of the Lord! The anxiety, fear, and look of confusion were gone from his face. The dark circles were gone from under his eyes. I saw immediate improvement in his countenance, cognition, speech, and diet. Jacob had not eaten cereal in many months and would usually tantrum at the suggestion. He ate a full bowl of cereal for breakfast that morning and cheerfully said, "thanks." I was very surprised. His chronic bowel condition was healed overnight and his diet began to improve.

The day after we prayed, Jacob began demonstrating independent skills he didn't have before the prayer. He dressed and undressed himself including his shirt, pants, socks, and shoes! He dried himself off after getting out of the tub.

A few days after the prayer, Jacob called me "Mom" for the first time in his life! This was a great breakthrough for us. Before, he would call me "THE Mom" and refer to me as an object. Since then, Jacob's language skills have continually improved.

The Sunday morning following the miracle prayer, Jacob joined some children at church in a game of Duck Duck Goose. This would be normal for most children his age. I was getting ready to explain to the other children that Jacob wouldn't know how to play when he took his turn and played the game normally. I was amazed. That game requires sequencing of thought beyond Jacob's prior mental ability to process. He demonstrated a remarkable new level of cognitive ability right after the prayer.

Jessie noticed the change in Jacob when she got home from the conference. He was more happy, compliant, and communicative. He began saying words and phrases he had never said before. He began really having conversations with us for the first time. Jessie brought home a gift of faith that she imparted to me. After that, I was better able to receive and perceive Jacob's healing.

Jacob attends a class for cognitively impaired students. He had a rough start at school in September of 2004. But within three weeks after the healing prayer in November, Jacob met all of his physical therapy goals at school. Jacob's physical therapist determined Jacob was doing so well she discontinued PT services. His occupational therapist remarked of his sudden improvement, "this is not normal progress for a child his age with autism."

The Healing Continued

In January of 2005, Jacob's sister attended the Signs and Wonders Ministry School at TACF. During a testimony time, Jessie shared about Jacob's cell phone healing breakthrough. After her testimony, Evangelist Todd Bentley prayed over her again for complete healing for her brother Jacob from Down's syndrome and autism. We saw an even greater measure of healing following that prayer.

In addition to the physical and emotional healing Jacob received, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now he loves to worship! He ministers in prophetic flags, worship dance, and healing prayer. He has a tangible anointing in his hands. He receives Words of Knowledge and intercedes for others beyond his natural understanding. He sings worship songs now, too, and plays the ukulele. Jacob loves to receive prayer, too. We have seen other breakthroughs in speech, cognition, and spiritual gifts as he regularly receives healing prayer. Jacob loves the anointing!

The Healing Confirmed

October 13th, 2006, was Jacob's 3 year autism re-evaluation. In attendance were his teacher, school psychologist, social worker, speech therapist, occupational therapist, an autism consultant, and our director of special education. They unanimously determined that Jacob was no longer eligible for services under the "Autistically Impaired" label at school because he no longer shows autistic behavior at school. They acknowledged he still needs intervention in communication (speech therapy), but attribute that impairment to Down's syndrome.

Although I was pleased with Jacob's progress at school, at the time of the re-evaluation I was still having a few behavioral issues with him at home. I wrote a letter to the school addressing my concerns and considered requesting another re-evaluation just to be sure their findings were correct. But within the week following the evaluation, I saw remarkable improvement in those few areas of concern. Within a couple weeks they were no longer issues! Healing had fully manifested. (For example: until the evaluation, I had never seen Jacob point out things of interest. Shortly thereafter, he began to use his index finger to point to things). I wrote a follow up letter to the school informing them of all his progress and formally accepting their professional determination.

I specifically asked at that re-evaluation meeting if anyone still considered Jacob autistic. The psychologist who had evaluated him said, "From my data…I don't see that he is autistic." This is especially meaningful because the Michigan state definition of autism says it is a "lifelong disability". But not for Jacob! Hallelujah! Jesus set Jacob free from the prison of autism.

The Healing Goes On

After healing prayer, Jacob became the highest functioning student in his class. He was then able to enroll in regular education classes in music and art. He received 100 percent marks on his computer reading lessons. Jacob's speech is continually improving. He continues to amaze us with Words of Knowledge and speech patterns not typical of a child with his "issues".

Jacob is now eating a variety of foods at home and school. He eats salads now as a favorite selection. Dinner has become an enjoyable time as we fellowship together at the table. Jacob now eats steak, salmon, vegetables, green beans, seasoned rice, and all kinds of new foods. He especially likes to sprinkle cheese on things. He eats mixed food groups now and is happy when I serve him a balanced meal. He is exploring spices, dressings and condiments too. In fact, he likes food so much now he has taken up cooking with me! His nickname in the kitchen is "Little Chef".

Jacob has become an outgoing, social, and exceedingly more compliant child. He no longer wears a harness on the bus. He has friends his age whom he now recognizes as special pals. I cut his hair on a regular basis and he often laughs with me during the haircut. He is no longer afraid of unfamiliar loud noises, but shows normal curiosity and interest. He has eating and playtime habits, but he is no longer driven by meaningless compulsive routines. Jacob now has very active imaginative play skills. He has developed a talent in drawing and loves to color. He has normal eye contact. He is very affectionate and gives lots of hugs and kisses. He enjoys cuddling again. I have my son back! Praise Jesus!

In December 2007, I received a call from our former area district coordinator of Special Education who had overseen Jacob's placement when he was autistic. She had not seen Jacob in over a year and was substitute teaching his class that day. She was so impressed with his progress, she called me at home to rejoice and say: "He's a completely different person!"

2008 Update

Most recently, Jacob has taken up drawing, painting, cooking, gymnastics classes, and swimming. He loves swimming! He has gifts in the creative arts and is a computer wiz. At his October 2008 IEP, our school discontinued Occupational Therapy services because he no longer needs OT. He has become an avid reader and it is really fun to hear him read!

A pastor from Nigeria prophesied over Jacob that he is anointed for ministry. A prophetic minister from the Kansas City International House of Prayer staff prophesied Jacob will be an evangelist. I am so excited for Jacob's future and all that the Lord has for him!

2010 Update

Jacob is still autism free and very healthy. He is doing so well academically that he skipped 5th grade and started Junior High this year! Jacob's teacher wrote on his recent Progress Report, "Jacob is doing such a great job with his reading program! Currently Jacob is working on vowel sounds. This is difficult, but he doesn't get frustrated and really works with it."

Need Healing for Autism?

Jesus healed Jacob. Jesus delivered Jacob from the bondage of autism. Jesus set Jacob free! We did not use any psychological, chemical, medical, or dietary interventions to obtain healing for autism.

If you or someone you know needs healing for autism, contact the Healing For Autism Facebook Page and we will add your loved one's name to our HFA prayer list and monthly HFA Bulletin Board.

BarbaraJacob's MomHealing For Autism

PLEASE NOTE ~

I am grateful for the help we received from the Autism Research Institute, and other sources, in seeking to understand autism. I do not oppose using other treatments for autism and believe that early intervention is very important. However, I found that other methods were not effective in our case. I wanted to share the true story of what worked for us. I write this testimony to offer hope and freedom to those who want to be free of autistic behavior and are seeking divine healing for autism. The Lord Our Healer bless you!